


The Galactic Holiday.

by Ulyverse



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:19:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1324714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulyverse/pseuds/Ulyverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Data of the USS Komarov remembers a special holiday for Starfleet. (One-Shot, first ever TNG fic).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Galactic Holiday.

Stardate: 282530.96

“Captain Data – are you alright sir?”

The Android Captain seemed to be staring vacantly at the window in his Captain's Quarters. His Chief Engineer, a Vulcan female, had joined him for a moment to debrief him on the engine damage received after a skirmish. There was a clicking sound as he blinked, turning to his present company. He very patiently allowed the words to accumulate in the correct sentence structure, allowing each of them to be prepared properly before speaking to his fellow senior office and crew-member. 

“I am perfectly operational and functional, Lieutenant, though I do commemorate you into observing any mechanical or technological technicalities that seem to be faltering, or supposedly faltering from your first observations. If you would like, we can do a full scan?” The answer was naturally long winded. 

“No Sir, I referred to your...mood.” The Vulcan officer seemed hesitant. 

“I am incapable of expressing any 'mood' that you refer to. A mood, by definition a temporary state of mind or feeling or an angry, irritable, or sullen state of mind. Both would require some form of a mind; while I am a sentient, self-sufficient Android I function not via brain wave receiving information but a serious of receptive commands, all of each intertwine with the server board of my main cortex and server-board. But I am grateful for such an inquiry, Lieutenant and appreciate its sentiment.” He expressed a long winded, to which the Vulcan very obligingly listened. 

“I understand this sir, however, there was some concern over today's stardate, it is after all a historical day--” 

“A celebration that if this crew were under better circumstance, we would be celebrating. Would it be appropriate to issue a ship-wide apology to all concerning the lack of celebration?” Data asked, wondering if this was the correct human response. 

“No Captain; the crew, or perhaps better put, the senior crew wondered if this was a rather...difficult day for you to celebrate.” The Vulcan seemed to almost wince at the idea of this conversation. Data could detect discomfort from a sentient being after long hard practices of it during his long time with the Enterprise. 

“No more is needed to be said, Lieutenant. I am lacking any capability of sentimentality though if I were be able to comprehend gratitude, from its definition I believe it is what I would be feeling.” He nodded, “you are dismissed.” The Vulcan nodded and expressed her thanks, leaving the Captain to think. Data turned to the screens that had been placed on his right. Not needing to have any sort of shut down sequence except in emergency nowadays, he had designed his personal quarters as a work space. 

Captain Data was not just a simple commander of a starship. He led the biggest fleet in all of the Federation, was an honoured Ambassador to the recent formed Kronos-Kingdoms as well as a key figure in Starfleet Intelligence (which was not common knowledge amongst officers). He had been offered promotions to Admiral, not having to go through any of the major procedures that a Captain would usually, being offered onto Executive positions in the Federation. He had declined such opportunities and had become the longest serving Captain in Starfleet history. 

The USS Komarov was his 5th vessel. It was a Cluster-Class ship, built with a prom Time-Engine and was capable of 5 Dimensional Warping. Few ships in the fleet compared, as most still operated like older models. But this would change given time, Data suspected. Starfleet was in a transition of generation boundaries with technology, similarly to the early 24th Century's transition – where some ships seemed completely out of date next to the Stargazer Classes. The Captain examined all the open projections carefully. It took a matter of nanoseconds to record all the info forever. 

“Computer, open Captain's Personal Log.” There was a noise and the recording began. “Captain's personal log, stardate: 282530.96 – I am reminded by Lieutenant Onara that it is an important Starfleet holiday. While I am one for the historic celebrations – for it is human in nature to accept them culturally – I have not declared a day of celebration due to the damage that we are currently repairing upon the Komarov on our mission to find the USS Eisenhower-C meaning that there is little time to rest. 

“There is much to be said about this holiday, for it is a great remembrance. I can only help remember a pre-installed programme from the Academy and various lectures now offered, along with historical files." Data moved from his seat, trying to process each 'thought' as he spoke. "I am supposedly inclined more so than others to celebrate - this is not due to an over patriotic or loyalist attachment however it is hard to neglect that to sentient beings who are cultured and who can truly recognised feeling that this would be a 'personal' celebration for me as well as a Galactic Holiday." Data paused. 

"However, I am an Android who does not feel, I feel a lack of...social conformity on my behalf for not being able to comprehend perhaps more personal feeling. If I were capable of guilt, I am sure that it would be an interpretation of said-emotion. It occurs to me that perhaps if I were capable of feeling that I would associate the day's Stardate as something of more a sentimental value and there would be no need to feel any guilt at all.” The Android paused. 

“There is a practice, in Earth traditions and various other planets, to visit 'graves' of those who have gone on their days of passing. An anniversary as such – I have never attempted to engage in such an activity due to the modern tradition of sending those who have deceased into space. This tradition extends from sea travels, where crewmen would be sent from their boat out to sea – a Viking tradition that sailors later adopted and now the same is practised by Starfleet, however the graves now head to space. I believe such a tradition, to visit 'this past' in a poetic and figurative sense would be an interesting one if the circumstances could be recreated.” Data concluded.

“There is, perhaps, another practice that I may adopt. The facilities of holographic technology – particularly concerning this individual – that shall allow an experience to be created. After this study is conluded, I shall report back to my personal log.” The recording ended. Data then went to one of the many computers in his quarters and deactivated the Captain's office look he had created in this holo-quarters. The advantage of the development of holographic technology meant that things were real enough now to design custom quarters for everyone, adaptable for whatever your needs may be at any given time. 

Data did not need a bed and would adapt the quarters to whatever setting an Officer would be most comfortable meeting him in or an environment for maximum capacity to work. Occasionally he would bring up great thinkers – Eintstein and Newton – to help him arrive to his maximum thought process or bring some holodeck programmes to relax, making him question the human psyche once more. Today he was using it for something different, bringing the Stardate to an abstract time to the middle of some French fields. The entire placed shifted, the programme was a common one used amongst officers during the Academy. 

Captain Data's, however, was far more personal. He wandered through in the artificial sun which blistered in the sky, only that Data could not feel such a thing. Then, he arrived to rather disgruntled old man. The man had a hat on his head and worked away at the fields. A tool in his hand, he seemed to almost be shouting at the dirt upon the ground. There was some rather vulgar ancient French spoken before his pitchfork was suddenly stuck in the ground and then he began to lean upon it. Data had not activated this programme in 72 years after his memory banks had finally been loaded, he had tested to see if they work. If he could feel, he would note a sense of nostalgia. 

“Lieutenant,” the old man spoke. His beard seemed unnatural on his face. 

“Admiral Picard.” Data spoke with a tone of great respect and formality. There was a 'Pah!' sound produced from the Grand Admiral. 

“Admiral, eh?” He pulled out a pipe, sticking it in his mouth. “And you're a Captain now, I see.” 

“Yes, sir.” Data nodded slightly. Picard walked up to him slightly, with a half smile of discontent on his face. This was a look, Data had noted, that only he was capable of producing. 

“I always expected it.” He spoke with authority, despite now being a French farmer. “You are quite the remarkable man.” The tone softened. The holographic Picard extended his hand out to shake Data's. He smile slightly between smoking the pipe. Data shook his old friend's hand. 

“Sir,” Data began as they broke off from the handshake, “I have come here for an inquiry.” 

Picard had turned back to his work, beginning to move his pitchfork about. 

“Hm? Oh, I figured you might.” He spoke as he shifted it somewhere else. “In all my time that I knew you, Mr. Data, you never failed to not be inquiring into something.” Picard grinned slightly. Data kept a neutral expression. 

“On the contrary – I can name several dates if you would like me to load my memory banks--”

“Just get on with it, Mr. Data.” Picard was slightly firmer in his approach, almost rolling his eyes.   
“It is Stardate: 282530.96.” Data began then Picard stopped. He looked puzzled slightly. 

“That's...” He was rather quiet, “that's my birthday in...195 years.” There seemed to be quite the shock for the holodeck programme at that moment. Data saw the face and his memory banks loaded several moments where his former Captain had been in situations of severe surprise. 

“That is correct, Sir. We now celebrate it in 2605 as a Starfleet Holiday – the celebration of your achievements.” Data continued, “there is an expectancy for me to be comprehending this day as one that is sad, that is one that I shall be affected by differently then any other day that is near. I am understanding that you have now passed away and we served together upon the USS Enterprise-D for a very long time I am however lacking any ability of expression or commitment to you. I am currently in search of the USS Eisenhower-C, as Captain of the USS Komarov--” Picard's shocked face turn to one of someone who was an experienced officer. 

“How long has it been missing?” He sternly asked. 

“12 days, Sir. I appreciate your advice I am however unsure how it is relevant to my inquiry--” Data spoke but was interrupted by the Holodeck programme. 

“If this were my ship, with our crew on board – Tasha and all, Mr. Data, would you not want the finest Captain in Starfleet aiding your mission? With experience of not only third account stories of my ventures but the first hand view from an officer aboard?” Picard referred to Data's memory banks being used to create mission simulators of the USS Enterprise-D. The Android blinked. And for the first time since his mission to find the Eisenhower-C had began and the first time in 267 year, he was sure that his intercortex had just interpreted some form of empathy. 

The setting suddenly changed to Captain Picard's old quarters. He stood in his uniform, as did Data. The two looked at one another as equal ranks and officers. The old Captain then continued, Data analysing each piece of information that Picard gave him as they spoke, with references to some of their old adventures and missions. Picard Day was celebrated by Data, in a way that he could not fully interpret. However, as Officers did come to visit their Commanding Officer, they noted a springing enthusiasm and less of the diplomatic, neutral approach he usually took. 

With friends of old, Data touched upon the human that was buried underneath his wires. As the Komarov crew received its orders, taken from the memory of a missing ship the Enterprise had found in an 'invisible nebula' some few stardates ago. The same was revealed to have happened to the Eisnehower. The rest of the day, Captain Data found himself emersed in an artificial French sun that he soon noted to visit when back on Earth. He knew that the experience would vastly contrast without the company, no matter that it was holographic, of his old friend.


End file.
